This application is based on and incorporates herein by reference Japanese Patent Application Nos. 2000-79350 filed on Mar. 16, 2000, and 2001-67002 filed on Mar. 9, 2001.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a compound heat exchanger including a plurality of heat exchangers suitable for use in an automotive cooling module in which a condenser is integrated with a radiator.
2. Description of Related Art
JP-A-10-253276 discloses a compound heat exchanger in which a condenser is integrated with a radiator. In the conventional compound heat exchanger, fin of a condenser core portion and fin of a radiator core portion are integrally formed, and a louver arrangement of the condenser fin is different from a louver arrangement of the radiator fin for adjusting heat exchanging performances of the radiator and the condenser.
Here, the louver arrangement includes etching angle, louver etching length, width dimension, the number of louvers, and the like.
However, in the conventional compound heat exchanger, heat exchanging performance does not vary within the condenser or within the radiator. Thus, when required heat exchanging performances are different between at one area and another area within the condenser or within the radiator, the conventional compound heat exchanger cannot satisfy such a request.
An object of the present invention is to provide a compound heat exchanger easily attaining required heat exchanging performance between at one area and another area within a heat-exchanging core.
According to the present invention, a first core portion to carries out a heat exchange between a first fluid and an external fluid. The first core portion includes a plurality of first tubes through which the first fluid flows and first cooling fins disposed between each pair of adjacent first tubes. A second core portion is disposed in series with the first core portion in an external fluid flow direction with a predetermined clearance therebetween, to carry out a heat exchange between a second fluid and the external fluid. The second core portion includes a plurality of second tubes through which the second fluid flows and second cooling fins disposed between each pair of adjacent second tubes. A connecting portion integrates each of first cooling fins and second cooling fins. At least one of the first cooling fins and the second cooling fins introduce different cooling performances between at one area and another area within at least one of the first core portion and the second core portion. Thus, the compound heat exchanger easily attains the required heat exchanging performance being different between at one area and another area within at least one of the first core portion and the second core portion.